Casting a circle


Please note that the following are my own personal views and practices, if you don't like certain points, then change them to suit yourself and what feels comfortable to you. There is no definitive way of casting a circle. If you ask ten different witches how they do it, you will get ten different answers. The following works for me, so try it, and change it if you want.

What's this circle thing anyway ?

'Casting a circle' is a bit of a misunderstood phrase. What we are actually doing when we cast a circle is creating a three dimensional sphere around ourselves rather than a two dimensional circle on the ground. One should always try to envisage a perfect sphere, half above the ground and half below. The 'Circle' is merely where the sphere intersect with the ground. The circle serves several purposes, protection, a concentration of power and a place where we can be at one with the Goddess and the God.

Where should I cast my circle ?

Well, this is entirely up to you. I never do it inside myself, but there is no 'law' that says you can't. I am fortunate in that I live in a country where the climate is good all year round, and I have a large secluded garden. To me, it just 'Feels better' outside, where one is in contact with nature and the elements. But if it is impossible for you to be outdoors due to circumstances, then inside will work just fine.

Anything I should do before-hand ?

Yes, Go and have a bath or a shower! I am not joking, you must be clean and relaxed before you start circle casting and begin rituals. Soaking in a herbal bath seems to be the best, although some say that you should just add pure salt to the bath water. (Symbolic of the ocean)

How big should this thing be ?

I have heard it said that a circle should be nine feet across, but I disagree. To me it should be any size that is convenient to the person that is using it. On the other hand, don't go to extremes and cast a circle that is only 3 feet across, as only your legs will be inside the sphere ! My circle is normally about 3 meters across, but that's just how it seems to fit the best in the place I use.

Enough already ! How do I actually Cast a circle ?

OK, but one last important thing we need to sort out. You need to find out where North, South, East and West are. Where I live this is easy, I use the stars (The southern cross) to find the points of the compass. Using the stars has the advantage that you can go anywhere and still create your circle facing the right direction.

OK, so now you have found out where North, South, East and West are. Each of these compass points is associated with one of the elements. North is associated with Earth, South with Fire, East with Air and West with Water. We now need something to represent each one of these elements. For Earth I use a small pile of stones, for Fire a candle, for Air incense, and for Water a bowl of water.


Use a piece of rope, string or even a handfull of sand to draw a circle on the floor. If you are outdoors you can just draw the outline of a circle in the soil using a stick. Now place the objects that you have chosen to represent the compass points on the outline of the circle. (Aligned in the correct position of course)

Next step is to create an altar in your circle. This may range from a very simple one such a large stone, to a very elaborate one such as a table filled with your Wiccan tools and symbols.

Now, starting at the north and moving clockwise to each of the four quarters in turn, invoke the element or "spirit" associated with that quarter. Some Witches will use a verbal invocation or some form of chant to accomplish this, but it is not neccessary. Here again it depends on how you feel and also on the circumstances around you at the time (You don't want to wake up your neighbors with loud chanting if you are doing this inside and you live in an apartment!) Simply standing at each quarter and visualizing its associated element for 30 seconds or so (or until you feel the power of that element) is usually enough. Remember, this is your circle, and there are no 'laws' as to how it should be cast. Experiment, try different methods, and see what works for you.

Sorry... I am not finished here yet. please check back in a few hours.